


Bring on Tomorrow

by TheSadisticMunchkin



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College, Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life, a retelling of my entire first semester in college with twists so u dont find out who i really am
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 16:42:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13438953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSadisticMunchkin/pseuds/TheSadisticMunchkin
Summary: Someone once told Jinyoung that your whole life will start in college. He just didn’t think college would give him the very reason to even begin that journey.





	Bring on Tomorrow

**Author's Note:**

> I'M POSTING THIS NOW TO FORCE ME TO CONTINUE IT
> 
> yes hello this is kyra with a new ~chaptered~ hwangdeep fic for you guys!! i might as well post the first chapter now so i can have this haunting me until i keep writing. whatever is gonna happen here is a retelling of what my first semester in college is like. except gayer. and fluffier. and maybe a little bit more complicated. also this isnt proofread yet i will probably fix it sometime but yay here it is anyway!!!
> 
> i hope you enjoy!! please leave comments and kudos and board the hwangdeep train ;-;

“Bae Jinyoung?”

 

Jinyoung gulped, palms sweaty and mouth dry. The man at the counter couldn’t be more than 20 years old but his eyes look as if they’re burning holes into his forehead the longer he stared at him. Jesus fucking  _ Christ,  _ why can’t he get a grip? It’s literally just an application form. They’re just checking if all the requirements are complete. That’s it. Why is he shaking?  _ You need to stop shaking, Jinyoung. _

 

“We will contact you once your scholarship application has been fully processed. You may leave now.”

 

Leave this plane of existence? Jinyoung will do it happily. He bows nervously before high-tailing it out of the Admissions Office of his dream university as discreetly as his long ass legs could carry him. Luckily, the bathroom was right next to the office so he does what any self-respecting K-drama lead would do in a situation such as this: lock himself in a bathroom cubicle and slide down the door. His legs were just about to give out anyway.

 

It was terrifying, to say the least. Having to wait in that tiny, cold waiting room until the receptionist finished checking his application was nothing less than excruciating. Jinyoung knew he probably only had 25% to worry about realistically. His grades were above average, he has a good amount of extracurriculars, no criminal record, and he passed the entrance exam and was permitted to get into his first choice of course.

 

The only problem was money.

 

Ever since his father died a year ago, money wasn’t that easy to come by. He couldn’t get too many jobs because he was already part of his school choir. Rehearsals would come in conflict with some of his shifts and at times he did double shifts in the weekends. To top it all off, his younger sister wasn’t exactly doing well in school and almost faced expulsion. Jinyoung has had one hell of a year so he just hoped and prayed that this school accepts him. One disappointment was enough but a series of them was too much for him. 

 

Just as he was starting to calm down, his phone buzzes in his pocket with a message from Jihoon. He probably just figured out that Jinyoung ditched first period attendance checking just to apply in the college  _ literally next door.  _ Hey, Jinyoung wasn’t an airhead but he wasn’t a goody-two-shoes either. It was the school fair anyway. Attendance was lax but he gets why Jihoon could be worried. 

 

**_From: señor jeojang_ **

**_Yo where tf are u?? U promised me u would perform at the open mic today >:/_ **

 

**_From: smol face motherfucker_ **

**_Chill it’s like .. 8am. I’m in admu u hoe_ **

 

**_From: señor jeojang_ **

**_Wait … fuck u are ????? wtf ???? u should have told me?????_ **

 

**_From: smol face motherfucker_ **

**_Bitch if i told you, you would have insisted you would come with. And you have an open mic shift remember u fucking dumbass_ **

 

**_From: señor jeojang_ **

**_Fuck you i knew that_ **

 

**_From: señor jeojang_ **

**_...anw… how’d it go?_ **

**_From: smol face motherfucker_ **

**_Well… I’m currently about to have a panic attack in the men’s bathroom ,,_ **

 

**_From: señor jeojang_ **

**_Sigh … you wanna get chicken before you perform for the open mic?_ **

 

**_From: smol face motherfucker_ **

**_Yes pls_ **

 

**_From: señor jeojang_ **

**_Then get ur dumbass here soon so we can have lunch later. Love u, u bitch_ **

 

**_From: smol face motherfucker_ **

**_Thx_ **

 

**_From: señor jeojang_ **

**_Fuck you. Now get over here or i’m telling a teacher u ditched._ **

 

Jinyoung laughed at the last text and pocketed his phone with a deep sigh. Jinyoung is glad for Jihoon’s unconventional ways of showing affection. It really does put him at ease no matter how weird that may sound to others. Jihoon was his rock, one of his constants ever since this whirlwind called high school began. He’s sort of both glad and disappointed that the journey was about to end soon.

 

But if Jinyoung gets this scholarship, a new storm is going to approach and he isn’t sure if he is entirely ready for it. At least Jihoon will be going to the same school if ever he’s accepted as a scholar. He really hopes he is. After a few more minutes of self-reflection, Jinyoung quickly realises he’s been sitting on the floor of the bathroom for who knows how long and leaves the cubicle in a hurry. 

 

He attempts to get his life together via a pep-talk while looking at himself in the mirror but it just results in him looking like a whole-ass lunatic. What makes it even worse is that he didn’t even notice that someone entered the bathroom a few minutes before he started talking to himself in the mirror and was now currently washing his hands next to him. Jinyoung thinks that maybe he was pretending not to hear anything. Boy, was he deadass  _ wrong.  _

 

The boy looked up from the sink and gave him a shy smile. Or was it a smile born out of pity for the poor boy talking to himself in a public bathroom? Either way, it doesn’t stop Jinyoung’s cheeks from burning. 

 

“Um… Sorry about that…”

 

The boy just tilts his head and chuckles lightly. “It’s okay. I get nervous sometimes too.”

 

“It’s more of a matter of life and death jitters.”

 

“Man… that’s rough.” Their conversation lulls as the stranger uses the hand dryer and Jinyoung uses that silence to collect his thoughts and glare at his dumbass self in the mirror. “I’m sure you’ll get through it, though. I don’t know what it is you’re going through but I’m rooting for you!” He smiles at Jinyoung and a pleasant warmth runs through his body. It sure is hard to find nice strangers these days. Jinyoung should consider himself very lucky.

 

“Minhyun-ah, you ready to go?” a voice from outside the bathroom calls out and both boys look towards the door. The stranger, whom Jinyoung now knows as Minhyun, scratches the side of his neck and turns to him.

 

“My friends are waiting outside, I’m sorry.” Minhyun pats down the remaining droplets of water on his fingers with some tissue before waving goodbye to Jinyoung. He chances a glance at Jinyoung’s uniform before walking backwards towards the exit. “Ah, you’re from the school next door. I hope to see you around then!” With another warm smile that sends tingles down Jinyoung’s spine, Minhyun jogs out of the bathroom and a cacophony of boy’s voices echo down the hallways until Jinyoung is once again left alone with his thoughts.

 

He looks at his tired self in the mirror and sighs for the upteenth time today.

 

“If anyone is listening up there,” Jinyoung says as he closes his eyes. “Please let me go to this school.”

* * *

 

“Why do you keep saying you  _ wish  _ you could go to that school? Bro, you’re  _ going to get in.” _

 

“I don’t know…”

 

“What’s stopping you from believing that you will?”

 

“Fuck, dude, I don’t know. Anxiety? It’s a real pain in the ass, you know.”

 

“It’s only a pain in the ass if you  _ let  _ it kick you in the ass. Kick anxiety right back!”

 

“Jihoon, it’s not that simple.”

 

“I tried, didn’t I?”

 

Jinyoung flicks a piece of honey butter glazed chicken skin in Jihoon’s general direction before sticking his tongue out. “Thanks for trying.”

 

“Honey, I live to please.” Jihoon grabs the chicken skin that Jinyoung threw at him and pops it in his mouth. They sit in silence for a while with Jihoon devouring at least 3 more chicken wings in the process. Jinyoung swirls the remaining bits of rice still on his plate with his fork. And here Jinyoung thought chicken was going to make him feel better. He keeps staring at his phone, waiting foolishly for a call, a text, an email notification, heck even a morse code message for  _ anything  _ to bring his hopes up.

 

“Hey, you only gave your application form like three hours ago. Stop looking at your phone, dumbass,” Jihoon reaches over and plucks the phone away from Jinyoung’s worried fingers and stuffs it into his pant pocket. “Why don’t we talk about other things, hm? I’ll tell you all about my crush, how about that?”

 

“You can’t fool me. You don’t  _ have  _ a crush.”

 

“... It was worth a shot though.” Jihoon pouts and lays his head on top of his arms while staring at Jinyoung. Jinyoung rolls his eyes, already immune to Jihoon’s cute displays ever since they met. It’s not that Jinyoung doesn’t appreciate his best friend trying to cheer him up, he does he really does. It’s just his heart and mind likes to work together so as to create the ultimate ball of anxiety to crush the remaining bits of his soul. 

 

“ _ Jinyoung-ah,”  _ Jihoon whines. “You can’t give up yet, okay? If you can’t believe in yourself, remember that  _ I  _ believe in you. 100%.”

 

At least  _ one  _ person believes in him. The thought alone allows Jihoon triumph in the tiny smile Jinyoung sends his way.

* * *

 

Walking the halls of his high school brings up memories of a shy little boy that was afraid of failing. He runs his fingers cross the walls of his classroom, the bumps and cracks a familiar yet distant dream. He stands in the middle of the field and it’s like he’s a stranger on these grounds once again. His journey is over and a new one must begin. The slate is wiped clean the moment he steps out of this school.

 

The only question is where his next journey will go.

 

There have been no emails, texts, or phone calls regarding his scholarship application. Jinyoung, and even his family, already started on finding alternatives for him. It’s frustrating to have taken this opportunity but not knowing if any of it will even push through. He’s waited four whole months. How long does it take for them to read his pathetic letter pleading them to accept him? Hope was dwindling the longer Jinyoung waited.

 

“JINYOUNG-AH! WE HAVE TO TAKE A PICTURE!”

 

Jinyoung turns to see Jihoon running up to him, a big goofy smile on his face and an instax camera hanging around his neck. Jihoon graduated with high honors and at least half the girls (and guys) in the school swooning over him. Jinyoung doesn’t want to compare himself to his best friend, as he’s proud of him for all his achievements, but he can’t help but wonder when it’s his turn to be truly and utterly happy. He’s not quite there yet, no matter how sunny and energetic most of his friends are.

 

Jihoon almost bumps into him in his excitement and it would take a volcano erupting nearby to wipe that smile off of Jihoon’s face. Jinyoung smiles back automatically. He can’t be dwelling on  _ what ifs  _ right when they’ve just survived the hellish four years of high school. The least Jinyoung could do is feel relieved that he had friends like Jihoon by his side keeping him sane throughout the entire thing. 

 

“Woojin! You’re such a fucking slow-poke! Get over here so we can take that squad goals polaroid!” It was a sight to see Woojin out of breath from running considering he was the most fit out of the three of them but it made Jinyoung laugh at his irritated expression. What would he be without Woojin’s no-nonsense attitude and iron strong tolerance towards Jihoon’s 24/7 bullshit? Jinyoung hates to admit that they were  _ squad goals _ but Jihoon may take the point for this one.

 

“You asshole,” Woojin said the second he reached the two of them, hands on his knees. “At least  _ warn  _ me first before you start running like that.”

 

“If you weren’t so slow, I wouldn’t have to warn you at all.”

 

“Fuck you.”

 

“I love you too, babe!”

 

Woojin stares at Jinyoung, eyes dead, and Jinyoung just shrugs with a giggle. “Can I divorce him, now?” 

 

“If you do, who gets custody of me?” Woojin thinks for a second and looks Jihoon dead in the eye.

 

“I’ll take Jinyoung. If he lives with you any longer he might starve.”

 

“ _ Excuse you?  _ I’ll have you know that I am an  _ excellent  _ cook.”

 

“Instant ramen doesn’t count, Hoon.”

 

“It’s all Jinyoung eats!”

 

In the midst of his two friends’ weirdly domestic argument, Jinyoung’s phone buzzes in his pocket. Maybe it’s a text from his mom asking him where he is. However, when he took a look at his screen for confirmation, he nearly drops his phone in shock. “Guys,” he tries to call out to his friends, who are still fake-arguing as if they’re an actual married couple.  _ “Guys,”  _ he raises his voice slightly to no avail and he has to physically pry his two idiot friends apart to catch their attention.

 

“Fucking  _ listen  _ to me, you pricks.” Woojin and Jihoon fall silent then and Jinyoung shakily shows them his phone. On display is an email from the Admissions Office of the university right next door. 

 

_ Dear Bae Jinyoung, _

_ We are pleased to inform you that your scholarship application has been accepted. _ _  
_ _ Please fill up the form attached below on or before the 21st of May. Failure to do so will result in the termination of this scholarship grant. _

_ Thank you for choosing Antoine Daniel Memorial University! _

 

_ Sincerely,  _

_ Kwon BoA _

_ Office of Admissions and Aid _

**Author's Note:**

> woooo bye
> 
> yell at me at @minmanager on twt !!


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